Convex putting surface



May 27, 1941, F, w, PREECI;

CONVEX PUTTING SURFACE Filed April 12, 1940 v HHHH MHQMHHH u Patented May 27, 1941 CONVEX PUTTING SURFACE Fred W. Preece, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Tri- Putt Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 12, 19.40, Serial No. 329,309

2 Claims.

This invention relates to putting game structures and the particular novelty of this invention resides in the provision on the putting surface of a convex portion and the structure whereby this convex surface is obtained.

In games of this nature an inclined putting surface is provided which has an inclined bottom spaced therefrom and which has a plurality of openings therein so that a ball may be dropped therethrough to the bottom and be returned to a receptacle adjacent the platform at the front of the device provided for the putter. Heretofore in games of this nature, if a ball was struck and did not enter one of the openings provided therefor or was not struck hard enough to go beyond the end of the putting surface, the ball would be returned to the putting platform. By the provision of a convex portion in the putting surface forwardly of the openings provided therein, this difficulty is obviated since such portion will act to direct the ball to one side or other of the putting surface where it is trapped, dropped through an opening to the inclined bottom and returned to the receptacle.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The annexed drawing and following description set forth in detail certain mechanism for carrying out my invention, said means constituting however but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved putting apparatus showing more particularly the location of the convex surface thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken centrally through the device of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The structure is provided with a frame having side members I having inclined upper edges 2 and a vertical back member 3. Above the frame at the rear of the device is usually located an indicating mechanism for indicating the score of a person putting but is not shown here since it forms no part of the present invention.

At the inner sides of the side members cleats 4 are located on an inclined plane substantially parallel to the upper edges 2 of the side members and are secured thereto as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Immediately above the cleats 4 and secured to the upper edges thereof is located the bottom member 5. Spaced upwardly from the bottom and also secured to the inner sides of the side members I and substantially parallel to the lower cleats 4 are the upper cleats 6. At the forward end of the device these upper cleats are curved slightly and extend further outwardly in a horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 2 so that the platform 1 may be supported thereby.

Located above the bottom member 4 and spaced a distance therefrom is the top member 8 which is also on an incline and provides the putting surface which is covered with a suitable material. Elongated supporting members 9 are secured to the upper edges of the upper cleats 6 and the top member 8 is secured at its longitudinal edges to the supporting members 9.

Near the rear upper end of the putting surface 8 is located a plurality of openings in which will receive the ball and permit it to be dropped therethrough to the bottom 5 which, being considerably inclined, will carry the ball toward the front of the machine and into a receptacle provided for that purpose. The rear end of the putting surface is spaced from the rear of the frame providing the space I! so that if a ball is putt beyond any of the openings In it will be received in the space H and conveyed along the bottom 5 to the receptacle at the front of the device. Near the rear end secured to the bottom 5 a plurality of partitions I2 are provided in alinement with the edges of the openings Ill so that a ball dropped in any one of the openings will be received in a corresponding space between two of the partitions I2. These partitions l2 extend only a short distance along the central portion of the bottom 5 sufiiciently so that the score may be registered after the ball has dropped through one of the openings l0 after which it rolls along the bottom 5 and is returned to the receptacle.

A plurality of supporting members are provided above the partitions [2 which extend transversely of the device and are secured at their ends to the supporting members 9. Any number of these transverse members may be employed so long as the desired result is obtained, but in practice and in the preferred embodiment of my invention shown I prefer to use five of such members. The frontmost and rearmost of these members is indicated in Fig. 2 by the numeral l3; the next adjacent member to each of the members [3 is indicated by the numeral l4; and the central member is indicated by the numeral I5. These members support the putting surface 8 and are located in the specific location shown so as to form the convex section in the putting surface. The members l4 and 15 have curved upper edges which have their greatest height at the longitudinal center thereof substantially as shown in Fig. 3, but the central member 15 is. of a greater height at. its center than themembers l4; The members 13 are substantially flat along their upper edges and merely provide additional support for the putting; surface.

The putting surface 8 is formed of-thin-n'iaterial adapted to lie over these transverse. support-- ing members and assume the contour thereof which will result in a convex surface both longitudinally and laterally of the putting surface at the location of these transversemembers. Since the central member I is of greater height than the members :4, which are in turn of greater height than-the member l3" the putting surface w-ill have a longitudinal central configuration as shown in Fig. 21 Also, since'theputting surface will adapt itself to the longitudinal configuration of the transverse supporting members, its lateralsection will also be convex as shown in Fig; 3-'to provide=the resulting convex portion 16 asindicated in plan in Fig. 1.

To'complete this portion of the structure, the additional supporting elements I! at each side of' the frame are located over the outer longitudinal edges of theputting surface 8 and support at their upper edges thetransparent'closure member I8, shown here as formed of glassto thereby prevent access to this portion of the curved outwardly-and rearwardly in the mannershownin Fig. 1. Adjacent thefront portionof each of: the guide members I9, is located'an'opening=20410"permit aball whichxhas been returned to that: portion-of the surface to drop through tothe bottom 5' and bereturnedto the-recep'- tacle.- It should also-be noted here atthe'upper rear edge of the putting surface; are located the" inclined members 2| which are inclined outwardly fromthecenter thereof so th'atwhen a ball goes beyond the edge of'theputting -sur-= face and isreceivedin-thespace H; therewill' be: no possibility of suchball reaching one'of the spaces between the partition l2 to indicate" a score which was-not rightfully obtained.

Beneath the putting surface 8- and' adjacent one side of the frame, a guideboard 22 is' located-which extends almost tothe oppositesideand-isrinclined downwardly as-shown in dotted" This member" then' continues linesin Eig. 1-. forwardly as at 23 and is then curvedto one side of the-frame so that all balls-whether reaching. the. bottom 5 by the spacefl; the openings 10, or the openings 20 will be guided to the space between one of the side members I and the member 23 to thereby be returned to the receptacle. A receptacle is indicated generally at 24 but may be of any desired form which may even include a machine to again dispense the balls.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a ball having been putt from the platform I willbe moved over. the convex surface I6 to drop into one of the openings l0, if the ball is struck with sufficient force it may go beyond such openings and into the space H, if, however, the ball does not enter either the opening Ill or the space H, thev convex surface IE will carry it to one side orl. tothe other. of the frame where it will eventually .be.received in an opening 20 and carried back to the receptacle 24 by means of the inclined bottom 5;

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one here disclosed, change being made as regards the mechanism herein shown, provided however that the means stated by any of the following claims or. the equivalent of" such stated means be employed.

I'claim:

I. A- putting game structure comprising, an inclined frame having side members along the length thereof, lower inclined cleats secured to the inner sides of said side members, a bottom membersecured to and supported by said cleats, upper inclined cleats secured to the inner sides of saidsidemembers spaced from and substantially' parallel to said lower cleats, elongated supporting elements secured to the upper sides of the'uppercleats', a plurality of spaced'apart' supporting members extending transversely of said frame and secured at their ends to said" elongated supporting elements, some of said transverse members having curved. upper sides and being of greater height in the center. than. on the ends thereof, and a covering therefor supported at its longitudinal side edges on saidelongated supporting elements following the contour of saidtransverse supporting elements, to thereby provide a convex putting surface.

2. A putting game structure comprising, a

frame having side members, an inclined bottom.

member extending between said side members,

elongated" supporting elements spaced fromand.

parallelto. saidbottom and'securedto the inner. side of each" side member, a plurality of. spaced apart transverse supporting members secured. at theirends to said elongated supporting elements, some of'said transverse members having curved upper edges and being of greater height inthe centertha'n'pnthe ends thereof, anda covering therefor supported" at' its' longitudinal side. edges or said elongated. sup-porting elements following the contour of said transverse supporting elements, to" thereby provide a convex puttingsurface.

FRED. W. PREECE; 

